


fathers & sons

by Flamingbluepanda



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: @ls writers bring back my dad, I just needed carlos to have emotions about dads okay, M/M, Owen Strand's A+ Parenting, everyone else makes a cameo - Freeform, god i cant believe I have to use that tag for him, post ep 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29794218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamingbluepanda/pseuds/Flamingbluepanda
Summary: “Maybe this is forward of me, but I’m guessing that opinion has changed?” Owen sounds honest to godcurious,like he can’t fathom why Carlos wouldpossiblybe mad at him.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Owen Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Owen Strand & TK Strand
Comments: 15
Kudos: 329





	fathers & sons

**Author's Note:**

> dw im already thinking thoughts about tonights episode. Guess I'm officially a lone star writer now, woo! 
> 
> Dedicated to season one owen strand, who wasn't a fucking monster???? you ever just bREAK A ONE OF A KIND BOWL-

Carlos never spent a lot of time at the fire station anymore. 

He was a little saddened by it since he used to love popping in to visit Michelle or TK or bring the firefighters lunch every now and then. He wasn’t  _ avoiding  _ the firehouse per se, he just… didn’t have the time. And when he did have the time, he usually didn’t have the energy to deal with the tension in the air. 

Plus, if left alone with Owen Strand, he didn’t know what he would do. 

Still, he liked to pick up TK from work, especially when their shifts lined up and they were both heading home at the same time. Tonight he was really exhausted after a 24 Hour Shift From Hell, and he fully intended to drag TK to bed with him for cuddles as soon as they got home. 

So of course tonight would be the night when the universe sees fit to leave him alone with Owen  _ fucking  _ Strand.

“Carlos!” He says,  _ jovially,  _ like they’re  _ friends.  _ “Here to pick up TK?”

Carlos gives him a tight smile, pulling together the last scraps of his very best  _ I’m a friendly approachable cop  _ persona to not clench up. “Yessir. Everything go okay on your shift?”

“Practically boring by our standards,” Owen smiles, then gives Carlos a sympathetic smile. “Although based on what we heard over the radio, you can’t say the same.” 

_ “Mm,”  _ Carlos manages,  _ most definitely  _ not wanting to talk about the three teenagers who died in a gang war today. 

Owen seems to recognize this, and goes quiet for all of three seconds before he asks “is everything alright, son?”

“Did you know,” Carlos begins, because he’s an idiot who can’t keep his mouth shut when he’s tired, “that you had a reputation when you came down to Texas?”

Owen blinks, and Carlos continues. “We were all alight with it sir, every first responder from here to the edge of Austin was babbling about the hero New Yorker who was coming down to rebuild one of our greatest tragedies. I respected you, and that was  _ before  _ I met you and saw your leadership style and your parenting style.”

“Maybe this is forward of me, but I’m guessing that opinion has changed?” Owen sounds honest to god  _ curious  _ like he can’t fathom why Carlos would  _ possibly  _ be mad at him. 

“With all due respect,  _ sir,”  _ Carlos half spits. “The happiness of your son has become one of my top priorities in my day-to-day life. I love him, he’s a good man and one helluva firefighter, and he’s going to be one  _ heck  _ of a paramedic, and I say that as a man who knows a  _ lot _ of paramedics.”

“Your point?” Owen grinds out, sounding more peeved by the minute,  _ perfect.  _ In for a penny in for a pound.

“You honestly don’t see it?” Carlos waves a hand at the firehouse. “How much you’ve been  _ hurting  _ him? You  _ and  _ Gwyn! I understand you have things happening, I  _ understand  _ that I do, but that gives you  _ no  _ excuse to stop being a father.”

“I think you’re overstepping-“

“And I think you’re an idiot,” Carlos snaps. “Or at least you're acting as pigheaded as one. You can report me  _ later,  _ after I make you realize that maybe, just  _ maybe,  _ when you tell your  _ son _ that you’re getting a life-saving surgery because you’re, quote, ‘going to be a father’ - not again, not going to be a father again,  _ going to be a father,  _ it  _ might  _ make him a little upset!” 

Carlos’ eyes are blazing with fury, and he didn’t even realize he’s gotten up in Owen’s face until Owen says, low and far too  _ calm  _ “I suggest you take a step back,  _ son.” _

“I’m not your son,” Carlos snaps but takes a few steps back. “My father is a  _ very  _ different man from you. He’s harder, a bonafide Texas ranger who expected his bourbon and his dinner ready when he came home, who gave me a good smack when I broke a rule in his house, who raised me to respect his rules above all others, who hasn’t talked about the fact that I’m gay in  _ ten years,  _ and who will probably never bring it up again until I do.” 

Carlos takes a deep breath, tries to collect himself. Suddenly, he’s  _ overwhelmed  _ with how much he loves his family and makes a note to call his dad as soon as he gets home, tell him he loves him 

“You like to act all progressive because you accept your son for who he is, And yet I have never,” He says,  _ “ever,  _ in almost thirty years, for a single  _ second  _ doubted that my father loves me with his entire heart. And I have three older sisters  _ and  _ an older brother  _ and  _ a younger brother. And on top of that, he treats my  _ mami  _ like a queen. My parents took the time to  _ love  _ each and every one of us,  _ and each other _ .”

Carlos raises his chin, looks Owen straight in the eye. 

“I want you to take a good hard look at your life,  _ Captain Strand.  _ Can you say the same?” 

It would’ve had less of an effect if Carlos had punched him. Owen looks taken aback, and Carlos deflates.

“I’m not trying to start a fight, sir,” Carlos says, a minute or an hour later. “As I said, you can report me, although I’m off duty, haven’t threatened you, and am a member of one of the most toxic, fucked up organizations in the world, so I don’t know what it will get you.” 

(It’s true too, police unions will bend over backward to protect their own, even the “unfortunately Mexican gay ones”, according to the lawyer he actually met with the one time someone tried to accuse him of falsifying his evidence, years and years ago.) 

“I just want you to see what you’re doing to him,” Carlos insists,  _ pleads  _ even. “He’s- I worry about him all the time, comes with dating an emergency worker, but I’d like to be able to trust him with the man who moved halfway across the country to protect him if I can.” 

Owen’s throat flexes, and Carlos sighs. “My advice, sir? Go back to who you were a year ago. I respected the hell out of that guy.”

“We all did!” Chirped a familiar voice from the firehouse, along with at least two distinct voices immediately hissing  _ shut up probie!  _

Carlos and Owen look over in unison to find the 126 watching them. Judd has his hands shoved in his pockets, Grace next to him, and something akin to respect in their eyes. Matteo is rubbing the spot where he got elbowed and Marjan and Paul are trying to look like they weren’t eavesdropping.

TK is coming over, looking like he’s two seconds away from crying. Carlos reaches for him, trying to apologize because  _ fuck,  _ that was  _ not  _ his place. “TK I-“

TK kisses him softly before he can finish, then steps back and takes Carlos’ hand, squeezing it.

“Thank you,” He croaks, then looks back at his dad.

“Tyler, I-“ 

“I need a few days,” TK says firmly. “Away from you and mom. And after that, we need to talk-  _ all three of us,  _ as a family. And maybe also my therapist, to facilitate? I’d like to be heard without you two making it about you.” 

Owen’s eyes widen, but then he nods without question, a determined look in his eyes. Good, maybe he had a breakthrough.

TK touches his arm. “You okay to drive?”

“If you’re trying to drive my baby, you’ll have to try harder than that,” Carlos says, then squeezes TK’s hand once before he climbs into the camero.

TK must give his dad a look before he gets in the car or something because when Carlos looks at Owen in his rearview he’s visibly crying.

**Author's Note:**

> @ the lone star writers give rafael silva more screen time before he realizes he deserves better and you have to write off one of your most interesting characters
> 
> tumblr: www.flamingbluepanda.tumblr.com
> 
> Ily


End file.
